Housing Officer

Housing Officer - Housing - Ashfield District Council - NG17 8DA

37 Hours Per Week

3 - 6 Months Contract

We are looking for Housing Officer based at: NG17 8DA

The post holder will be required to work at Urban Road, Kirkby, and any other locations across the Council district.

The working week will be 37 hours and will be worked between 8.00am and 6.00pm, Monday to Friday in accordance with the department and rota/cover requirements.

The employee will be required to work outside of normal working hours/attend evening meetings as part of their role, for which an appropriate payment or time off in lieu will be granted.

The post holder is eligible for essential car user allowance, subject to meeting the requirements in the Car Allowance Policy.

The post involves driving and so the post holder will be required to undertake relevant DVLA checks.

The role will involve lone working, office duty cover and visiting tenant homes

Key Accountabilities:

• The post holder will be responsible for delivering a high-quality tenancy and estates management service across the district including estate-based activity within an area, ensuring that tenants are complying with the terms of their Tenancy Agreement.

• Manage tenancy related matters, ensuring that tenants are aware of their responsibilities under the Tenancy Agreement and provide advice and assistance to tenants, as necessary.
• Investigate and deal with anti-social behaviour and other breaches of tenancy conditions as appropriate including enforcement, taking detailed witness statements, mediation, conciliation, monitoring, and preparation of legal documentation. This will involve close working with legal representatives and other partners and attendance at Court.
• To ensure that the Tenancy and Estates Service complies with relevant legislation, good practice, policy and regulatory requirements.
• Responsible for the monitoring and managing of own case load in line with performance targets, prioritising workloads to deliver stretching targets and deadlines, where many of the cases will be complex and of a very sensitive and emotive nature.
• Maintain a highly visible profile on Council estates to provide an excellent estate management service.
• Ensure Estate Management Inspections are undertaken on a regular basis to ensure the environment is maintained to a high standard. This will involve remedying problems and working with partners and residents.
• Deal with requests for permissions and alterations and improvements to properties.
• Undertake property inspections for tenanted properties.
• Review introductory tenancies in line with procedures and legislation.
• Investigate and make decisions on individual cases regarding all aspects of day-to-day housing management activity including processing requests for successions, assignments, joint tenancies and transfers of tenancy.
• Investigate and deal with reports of abandoned properties, subletting and trespassing of properties.
• Undertake reception duties, dealing with telephone and personal enquiries and provide housing advice, deal with all aspects of office administration to ensure an effective delivery of the housing service.
• Identify and provide support to vulnerable tenants, liaising with and making appropriate referrals internally and externally to assist tenants to sustain a tenancy.
• To keep full and detailed records of all actions taken and all contact with tenants and to write non standard letters, briefing notes and reports as and when required.
• To contribute to the development of and delivery of the Tenancy and Estates Service by keeping up-to-date with best practice and putting forward ideas and suggestions for service improvements
• To present cases at Court for possession and appeal hearings and act as a witness for the Council.
• To liaise with and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external agencies and other service providers and to represent the Council at any meetings.
• Attend Tenant and Resident Meetings as required.
• To work in partnership with the Income Team and Anti-Social Behaviour Team, to ensure that any tenancy issues are dealt with, the best customer service is provided to tenants and that enforcement action is co-ordinated.

Requirements:

• 3 G.C.S.E.'s Grade A-C to demonstrate literacy & numeracy skills, or, through previous employment experience, able to demonstrate good literacy and numeracy skills
• Experience of working in Social Housing
• Dealing directly with the public and delivery of high-quality customer care
• Dealing with and liaising with a range of voluntary, statutory and partner agencies
• Presenting evidence in Court
• Current social housing issues
• Up-to- date knowledge of housing practice
• Ways of consulting and involving residents